Each October, brisk autumn days at the ballpark give way to hot-stove winters, and America’s national pastime adds another season to the record books with a World Series. It’s been that way since 1903. Sure, some things have changed. Everyone’s a lot richer now. Games are played under the lights, often into the early hours of the morning. And TV cameras pitch all the action, plus a lot of ads, to viewers worldwide.
But the bases are still 90 feet apart. The pitcher’s mound is still 60 feet, six inches away from home plate. And there’s no shortage of intrigue and excitement surrounding this year’s matchup, as the Washington Nationals square off against the Houston Astros in the 115th World Series.
| Top 20 Baseball Cities | ||
| 1. New York, NY | 11. Pittsburgh, PA | |
| 2. Los Angeles, CA | 12. Minneapolis, MN | |
| 3. St. Louis, MO | 13. Cleveland, OH | |
| 4. Boston, MA | 14. Detroit, MI | |
| 5. Chicago, IL | 15. Baltimore, MD | |
| 6. Atlanta, GA | 16. Houston, TX | |
| 7. San Francisco, CA | 17. Milwaukee, WI | |
| 8. Arlington, TX | 18. St. Petersburg, FL | |
| 9. Oakland, CA | 19. Philadelphia, PA | |
| 10. Cincinnati, OH | 20. Washington, DC |
2019 World Series Facts
- $2,069 vs. $1,658: Average ticket prices for 2019 World Series games in Washington, D.C. and Houston, respectively
- $2.25 Million: Amount the Washington Nationals spent on each regular season win, compared to the Houston Astros’ $1.93 million
- 14.3 Million: Average viewership for the 2018 Series (down 23% over 2017)
- $305 Million: Total ad revenue generated by the World Series in 2018 compared to $408 Million in ad revenue generated by the Super Bowl in 2018
Source: WalletHub